While hundreds of people participated in a parade in Summerland on July 16 to show support to an Indo-Canadian family targeted by racist graffiti, one of the parade participants observed a Confederate flag displayed by a vehicle parked along the route.
Summerland Mayor Toni Boot said she was contacted by a participant who had come from Kelowna to show support to the family. During the parade, that person saw a man in a silver pickup truck, near the badminton hall, holding a Confederate flag.
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The participant also told Boot they have concerns for the safety of the Indo-Canadian family.
The flag, which features a blue X with 13 white stars on a red background, was adopted by the Confederate States of America during the Civil War in the 1860s. Today, many associate the flag with slavery and racism.
Sgt. Dave Preston of the Summerland RCMP detachment said police are asking participants with dashcam video of the parade or with information about the silver truck to contact them at 250-494-7416.
He added that possession of a Confederate flag by itself is not illegal in Canada.
Boot said the report of the Confederate flag during the parade is Summerland’s third incident involving that symbol within the past two weeks.
Earlier this week, a truck bearing a Confederate flag was observed at a shopping centre in the community, and at the beginning of July, a Confederate flag was displayed in the window of a Summerland home.
Preston said the July 16 parade, which included police vehicles at the front and end, was a positive show of support for the family.
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